Windscreen wipers on RHD 2011 Smart 451 causing blind spot - Safety?

[mrssharpeee]

Does anyone know anymore about this?

 

I noticed that in my RHD smart, the windscreen wiper on the driver's side fails to clean an area of 10cm on the far right

 

This reduces the available windscreen space by 7.5% which means 15% for the driver but the passenger's view is unaffected

 

Checking out YouTube, the LHD smart has exactly the same windscreen wiper mechanism as my RHD so it fully clears the driver's side

 

This seems to be a case of Smart not converting the wipers for a RHD version

 

It is very annoying and Smart's advise is to keep the windscreen clean - but 1/5 accidents are caused by a lack of visibility?? - a windscreen wipers should be fit for purpose ie to clean the windscreen

 

Another thing, when the un-cleanable area is added to the ceiling strut this doubles the blindspot to the driver's right - enough for a small child, pedestrian or cyclist to hide in - is this SAFE?

 

Finally, in a RHD car, one of the most dangerous manoeuvres is to cross oncoming traffic for example overtaking, and this problem creates a bigger blindspot here too

 

Smart claim that the car is OK relative to safety standards in Europe and don't feel they have to do anything more

 

Can we rally them for a change of their attitude?

[j66]

Doesn't look like too much of a problem to me. In days gone by alot of BL cars had a left hand drive wiper pattern for the UK market, with a larger arc of the windscreen left unswept on the drivers side.

 

It seems to me as though the Smart wipers have at least been designed with a regard to the UK market and obviously they must comply with UK regulations.